Central Ohio’s increasingly competitive outdoors retail market will get a homegrown boost next
fall when Columbus-based Vance Outdoors opens a store in Obetz, its third location.

“I always felt you’re either moving forward or moving backward,” said Rich Vance, CEO of Vance
Outdoors. “This is a family operation, and to continue it we’re not going to rest on the past. This
is our way of saying we hope to be here longer.”

Numerous sporting-goods retailers have announced similar plans for central Ohio recently.

In February, Gander Mountain opened its first Firearms Super Center in Ohio — and second in the
nation — at its Reynoldsburg store. In March, Cabela’s opened a Polaris-area store, its first in
Ohio.

Next year, Dick’s Sporting Goods will open one of its new specialty Field & Stream retail
stores and a prototype of its Dick’s Sporting Goods store at Easton Gateway. Outdoor-equipment
company REI also is set to open a store at Easton Gateway in May.

“Vance’s is reacting to all the national chains inundating their home turf in the past year or
so,” said local retail analyst Chris Boring, principal of Boulevard Strategies. “The industry is
going through an amazing growth spurt at the moment.”

Vance looked at various locations — Hilliard, Grove City and West Jefferson, among others —
before deciding on Obetz for the 56,000-square-foot store. It has existing stores on Cleveland
Avenue and in Hebron.

The new store will sell firearms; equipment for hunting, fishing, boating, camping and
automotive use; and outdoors-oriented clothing and footwear.

“We were looking for a freeway-exit location,” Vance said. “We feel that Vance’s, with our
reputation and what we sell, if we can get a freeway location, we can pull all of central
Ohio."

Obetz officials worked with the company this year to find the right location, said E. Rod
Davisson, Obetz economic development director. “We wanted to put it in a position where it could
prosper, benefit Obetz and be part of a retail corridor. This is our first large-scale retail
project.”

The site that Vance’s chose, 4250 Alum Creek Dr., is a vacant 8½-acre lot directly across the
street from the Obetz municipal buildings, near I-270. Vance bought the property for $364,400 in
October. Construction will start soon, and the store should open next fall.

The Obetz Village Council last month approved a municipal income-tax credit and other incentives
as part of the deal.

One of the store’s features will be a 15,000-square-foot, 24-lane, state-of-the-art indoor
firing range.

“That’s one of the ways Vance can hold its own against national competitors,” Boring said.

The indoor range leverages one of the retailer’s strengths as one of the largest firearms
dealers in the country, Vance said. “It’s not something we have to build. We already have that
business. We put a lot of emphasis on this range to be a real drawing card. We feel it’s going to
make a real impact.”

As part of the deal to build the store, Vance will offer firearms training to the Obetz Police
Department at no charge.

The development will also include a park that will be completed behind the store shortly after
it opens, Davisson said.

Vance’s father, Richard H. Vance, started Vance’s in 1938 as a general store that sold groceries
as well as firearms and archery and police equipment as a sideline business. The first Vance
Sporting Goods store opened in January 1978.